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Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2018
Strike
deadline set
for Sault Ste.
Marie, Ont.,
paramedics
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. —
Unifor set a strike deadline for
midnight on Feb 28 for para-
medics employed in the EMS
(emergency medical services)
division of Sault Ste. Marie Fire
Services in Ontario.
"We are hopeful the concilia-
tor will help us reach a fair reso-
lution for our members before
a strike or any reduction in ser-
vices becomes necessary," said
Laurie Lessard-Brown, Unifor
Local 1359 president.
Unifor represents 54 para-
medics who have been without
a contract since March 2017.
Negotiations have been ongoing
since last spring, with a number
of key issues on the table, includ-
ing scheduling, meal breaks,
shift premiums and concerns
over contracting out, said the
union.
Members voted 94 per cent
in favour of strike action in No-
vember 2017. These paramed-
ics are not covered by Ontario's
Hospital Labour Disputes Arbi-
tration Act. If a agreement is not
reached, an essential services
agreement has already been
agreed to, according to Unifor.
Molson
workers agree
to strike action
MONTREAL — A labour dis-
pute could soon break out at
the Molson brewery on Notre-
Dame Street in Montreal.
At a union meeting on Feb.
25, members of Teamsters, Lo-
cal 1999 refused their employer's
offers for a second time. The
workers then voted 87 per cent
to authorize strike action, said
the union.
The main sticking points are
the pension plan, group insur-
ance, outsourcing, and wages.
The negotiating committee
wishes to resume the talks as
soon as possible, according to
Teamsters.
Teamsters represent the in-
terests of about 550 brewery
workers at Molson in Montreal,
including bottling and delivery
workers.
Walkout
threatened in
First Student
bargaining
TORONTO — Unifor, Local
4268 — representing school bus
drivers in Ontario — served First
Student Canada with a strike no-
tice on Feb. 23 that will be effec-
tive as of 12:01 a.m. on March 1.
"Negotiations are continu-
ing and it is our hope that a fair
settlement can still be reached
as we are fully aware of the key
service that drivers provide to
school communities," said Nau-
reen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario re-
gional director.
The strike notice applies to
First Student Owen Sound and
Wiarton as well as Port Elgin and
Kincardine. In addition to school
bus routes in these regions, the
Owen Sound Transit system and
the Bruce Power shuttle service
could see a withdrawal of ser-
vices if no deal is reached, said
the union.
The union will issue a 72-hour
strike notice but has opted to is-
sue almost twice that to ensure
parents, students and users of
these systems have as much time
as possible to prepare alternate
arrangements, said Unifor.
The drivers have been in a le-
gal strike position since Dec. 10,
said the union.
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Photo:
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LABOUR LENS
David Barrows (L) protests with union members outside of the United States Supreme Court in
Washington on Feb. 26, after conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices indicated support for stopping
millions of dollars in fees that non-members are forced to pay annually to unions representing public
employees.
